Phoenix, AZ vs Manchester, NH
Moving from Phoenix to Manchester? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($448,352 → $526,340 median home) and taxes.
Phoenix vs Manchester at a glance
Bars scaled to the range across all 200 metros; labels show actual values.
To keep the same standard of living as $100,000 in Phoenix, AZ, you'd need about $100,904 in Manchester, NH (+$904).
Livability — Phoenix, AZ: 62 · Manchester, NH: 62 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 2,063 sqft in Phoenix vs 1,710 sqft in Manchester ($242 vs $292 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Phoenix, AZ | Manchester, NH | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $20,904 | $25,632 | +$4,728 |
| Groceries | $4,919 | $4,935 | +$16 |
| Transportation | $3,960 | $2,955 | −$1,005 |
| Utilities | $1,668 | $2,940 | +$1,272 |
| Insurance | $1,800 | $1,000 | −$800 |
| Taxes | $7,280 | $6,681 | −$599 |
| Total | $40,531 | $44,143 | +$3,612 |
Side by side
| Metric | Phoenix, AZ | Manchester, NH |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 104.7 | 105.6 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.88% | 3.69% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | 6.7% | 4.0% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 86 | 37 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.96 | $6.01 |
| Median home price | $448,352 | $526,340 |
| Home price ÷ income | 5.6× | 5.5× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | -1.7% | 2.2% |
| Price per square foot | $242 | $292 |
| Median rent | $1,742 | $2,136 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.38% | 0.00% |
| Capital gains tax | 2.50% | None |
| Property tax rate | 0.51% | 1.88% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,300 | $7,800 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $12,500 | $15,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | 1.68% | 1.80% |
| Avg commute (min) | 27 | 27 |
| Home insurance / yr | $1,800 | $1,000 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,900 | $1,200 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $550 | $650 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $100 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 15.5 | 27.2 |
| Gas $/gal | 3.60 | 3.25 |
| Violent crime /100k | 430 | 120 |
| Avg summer high °F | 104 | 81 |
| Avg winter low °F | 41 | 10 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 2 | 3 |